Decoupaging The Game

Even after a lifetime of learning new artistic techniques, it's still suprisingly enjoyable to go back to basic childhood fun, with scissors, paper and glue,

I usually paint a Halloween-themed bowl this time of year to be used for handing out Trick-or-Treat candy. I didn't think I'd have time for that, but then I missed not crafting one. I found this bowl at the thrift store, and with such a great shape, thought it might be great for decoupage. Not Halloween-themed. I just wanted to create a fun bowl. What is this thing I have for bowls? I don't really know. Maybe it's tied to my Aquarian identity as the Water Bearer. Or maybe I just have a thing for vessels in general.........

I'm sure you've seen these everywhere.......high-gloss accent bowl for holding textured what-nots on a coffee table. After sanding off the gloss finish, it was ready for adhesion.

So what do you think?

Although I said I didn't have time to paint a bowl, I ended up spending way more time than expected designing the bowl. Designing always takes much longer than execution. At least for me it does......

I had already pictured the side to the rim early on, so that part of the design came easy. Believe it or not, it was designing the center that took all my time. I put together so many different combinations for it, and every time I thought I had it right, a voice in my head said "just because you can, doesn't mean you should". Every configuration took away from the side design. So in the end, I kept the middle simple, opting for painting it black, with little tie-ins to the sides.

I've had this old Monopoly money for a few years now, but I still hadn't used it. It's very well-loved money from the 1935 issue, so there is great character in the paper, with wrinkles, tiny tears, and tape residue. I also like the fact that some of the denominations from the old version are a different color than they are now.

I added some very pretty Masterpiece clippings, and finally the Yahtzee logo. Love the punches of black.

I glued all pieces with wood glue for a strong bond, but I also knew that if I sealed everything with wood glue, I could create a crackle finish with my final clear coat. Wood glue is a super cheap crackle medium. I thought the crackled varnish could look like crazing, giving the bowl a more vintage look. I used a glossy outdoor varnish, which I tinted just a hint with Caramel alcohol ink, just to give it a bit of patina.

I kept the outside of the bowl a smooth and solid, glossy black, again to let the inside of the bowl be the showpiece. I only added one strip across the top outer edge, with alternating Masterpiece increments of One Hundred Thousand and Five Hundred Thousand. I love the contrast of the black exterior with the colorful interior.

I"m really digging how this turned out, and immediately pictured it holding the kitty for some friendly gambling. But then again, it could still be fun for handing out Halloween candy.

So much for a quick project....Oh-so typical for me......:)

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